Static electricity and dust removing apparatus

ABSTRACT

This static electricity and dust removing apparatus has a base box ( 11 ) provided with an airflow inlet port ( 16 ), and a processing head ( 23 ) attached to the base box ( 11 ) through a support column ( 21 ), wherein a processing space ( 24 ) is formed between the airflow inlet port ( 16 ) and the processing head ( 23 ). Air curtains for isolating the processing space ( 24 ) from the outside due to air from a spout of an air spout pipe ( 33 ) are formed at a front opening portion ( 29 ) and right and left side opening portions ( 28 ) of the apparatus. Ionized air generated by an ion generator ( 42 ) is spouted into the processing space ( 24 ), so that the ionized air is sprayed on matters to be processed which are disposed in the processing space ( 24 ) and dust is removed from the matters to be processed. Thereby, a static electricity and dust removing operation to the dust adhering to the matters to be processed can be efficiently performed within a short time, and work environment can be prevented from being contaminated due to a leakage of the removed dust.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a static electricity and dust removing apparatus, which sprays ionized air on parts or the like of industrial products as matters to be processed to remove dust adhering to the matters to be processed and not to contaminate work environment.

BACKGROUND ART

In manufacturing parts of industrial products such as electrical components and in assembling the parts to manufacture the industrial products, dust including solid particles, foreign substances, and motes adhering to the parts has to be removed. Since the dust adhering to the parts includes dust adhering to them by static electricity, if ionized air is sprayed on the parts to remove the dust while neutralizing and removing the static electricity on surfaces of the parts, the dust can be reliably removed. As above, techniques, which remove the dust adhering to the parts or the like of the industrial products as workpieces, i.e., the matters to be processed while neutralizing the static electricity on the surfaces of the matters to be processed, have be proposed as disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 5-15862

Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 8-131982

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

To generate the ionized air, electrodes are disposed in a flow path in which air flows, and air is ionized by a corona discharge caused between the electrodes. To remove the dust adhering to the parts or the like as the matters to be processed, the ionized air is sprayed through a nozzle on the matters to be processed. However, when the ionized air is sprayed from the nozzle to remove the dust, the removed dust may again adhere to the matters to be processed. In this case, the matters to be processed cannot be kept clean after dust removal. Moreover, the removed dust may fly and float around the work environment, which results in contamination of the work environment.

Therefore, there has been developed a static electricity and dust removing apparatus which generates, in a box having an open/close door, a main airflow to be spayed on the matters to be processed, causes the main airflow to be mixed with the ionized air from the nozzle, and removes the dust adhering to the matters to be processed. However, when the ionized air is mixed into the main airflow flowing from the nozzle, an ion concentration therein is decreased and static electricity removing efficiency is decreased, whereby a long time is required to complete a static electricity and dust removing operation. Meanwhile, if the open/close door is operated at a time of inserting the matters to be processed into the box, an operator has to frequently operate the open/close door for carrying in and carrying out the matters to be processed, whereby there is a problem of low operability in a processing operation.

An object of the present invention is to provide a static electricity and dust removing apparatus capable of efficiently performing, within a short time, a static electricity and dust removing operation of the dust adhering to the matters to be processed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a static electricity and dust removing apparatus in which the dust removed from the matters to be processed does not fly to the outside to contaminate the work environment.

A static electricity and dust removing apparatus according to the present invention, which sprays ionized air on a matter to be processed to remove dust adhering to the matter to be processed, comprises: a base box having an airflow inlet port in which air flows; a processing head attached to a support column provided to the base box so as to face the airflow inlet port, a processing space being formed between the airflow inlet port and the processing head; an air spout member provided to the processing head and provided with a spout for spouting air toward the airflow inlet port to form an air curtain for isolating the processing space from an outside; and an ion spout nozzle provided to the processing head to spray the ionized air on the matter to be processed in the processing space.

The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according to the present invention is such that a front opening portion is formed between a tip portion of the processing head and a tip portion of the base box, the air curtain is formed along the front opening portion, and the matter to be processed is carried in and out the process space via the front opening portion.

The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according to the present invention is such that a front opening portion is formed between a tip portion of the processing head and a tip portion of the base box, side opening portions are formed between both side portions of the processing head and both side portions of the base box, the air curtain is formed along the front opening portion and each of the side opening portions, and the matter to be processed is carried in and out the process space via any of the front opening portion and each of the side opening portions.

The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according to the present invention is such that a removable cover is mounted on each of the side opening portions, and the matter to be processed is carried in and out the process space via the side opening portions by detaching the cover.

The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according to the present invention further comprises: a sensor for detecting the matter to be processed which is carried in the processing space; and control means for performing, when the sensor detects that the matter to be processed has been carried in, processing start control of forming an airflow in the base box, spouting air from the air spout member, and spouting the ionized air from the ion spout nozzle in this order per lapse of a predetermined time.

The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according to the present invention is such that the control means performs, when the matter to be processed is carried out the process space, processing completion control of stopping spouting the ionized air, stopping spouting the air from the air spout member, and stopping forming the airflow in the base box in this order per lapse of the predetermined time.

The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according to the present invention is such that the control means performs, when a predetermined time lapses, processing completion control of stopping spouting the ionized air, stopping spouting the air from the air spout member, and stopping forming the airflow in the base box in this order per lapse of the predetermined time.

According to the present invention, with the processing space being isolated from the outside by the air curtains, the ionized air is spouted from the ion spout nozzle to remove the dust while neutralizing the static electricity charged on the matters to be processed. Therefore, the processing space does not require being covered with a cover or the like, and carrying the matters to be processed in the processing space and carrying the matters to be processed out of the processing space can be quickly performed, whereby a static electricity and dust removing processing to the matters to be processed can be quickly performed.

The compressed air spouted from the air spout member to form the air curtains is sucked through the airflow inlet port into the base box to form a flow of air in the base box. Also, the ionized air spouted from the ion spout nozzle is sucked by the airflow in the box and flows into the base box. Therefore, without the ionized air being mixed with air for the air curtains, the ionized air can be prevented from being diluted, and the ionized air can be reliably sprayed on the matters to be processed to remove, within a short time, the dust adhering to the matters to be processed.

Since the cover attached to the side opening portion is removable, paths for carrying the matters to be processed in and out the processing space can be variously selected depending on an installation place of the apparatus.

Schemes of forming the airflow and actuating the air curtains and the ion spout nozzle in the box at a processing start time and at a processing completion time are set at a constant, so that, at a time of spraying the ionized air on the matters to be processed and after the processing completion of the matters to proceeded, an interior of the processing space becomes in a state where no dust is present. Therefore, quality of the processing performed to the matters to be processed is enhanced.

The removed dust in the processing space is prevented from being leaked to the outside, so that the work environment can be prevented from being contaminated due to the dust.

Patterns of the processing completion control can be set by a sensor stop type of detecting carrying-out of the matters to be processed by the sensor and a timer stop type of turning off the apparatus by the timer. Therefore, either one of the control patterns can be selected depending on kinds of the matters to be processed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a static electricity and dust removing apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partially-broken plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partially-broken side view showing an internal structure of the static electricity and dust removing apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a principal portion of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-section view taken along A-A line in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a control circuit for controlling actuation of the static electricity and dust removing apparatus;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of a type in which the apparatus is turned on/off by a sensor; and

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of a type in which the apparatus is turned off by the timer.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the present invention will be detailed below based on the drawings. This static electricity and dust removing apparatus has a base box 11 formed by combining plate materials. As shown in FIG. 4, in this base box 11, there is incorporated a blower, that is, an air blower 15 which has a motor 12, a fan 13 driven for rotation by the motor, and a case 14 accommodating these components. Inside the base box, a space for forming a flow of air, that is, an airflow path is formed. On a front end side of the base box 11, an airflow inlet port 16 is formed so that air vertically flows into the base box. An expanded metal 17 having many vents is attached to the airflow inlet port 16, whereby matters to be processed are prevented from entering from the airflow inlet port 16 into the base box 11. When the air blower 15 is driven, as shown by arrows in FIG. 4, air flows into the base box 11 from many vents of the expanded metal 17 provided to the airflow inlet port 16 and the flow of air (airflow) is generated inside the base box 11. Air in the generated airflow is exhausted to the outside from an exhaust duct 18 attached to a back surface of the base box 11.

A support column 21 formed by combining plate members is provided to a back end portion of the base box 11, and an accommodation chamber 22 is formed in the support column. As shown in FIG. 4, a transparent cover protruding forward and formed of a transparent plate member is attached as a processing head 23 to the support column 21, and a processing space 24 is formed between the processing head 23 and the airflow inlet port 16.

Side plates 25 and 26 forming the support column 21 have protruding portions 25 a and 26 a protruding forward along the processing head 23, and the transparent cover forming the processing head 23 is fixed to both of the protruding portions 25 a and 26 a. Notch portions are provided in the protruding portions 25 a and 26 a. Side opening portions 27 and 28 are formed between both side portions of the processing head 23 and both side portions of the base box 11, respectively. A front opening portion 29 is formed between a tip portion of the processing head 23 and a tip portion of the base box 11. Therefore, it is possible to carry in the matters to be processed from the front opening portion 29 to an interior of the processing space 24 and to carry out the matters to be processed after completion of the processing.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, transparent covers 31 and 32 each formed of a transparent plate member are attached to the side opening portions 27 and 28 by screw members 30, respectively. Therefore, an interior of the processing space 24 can be viewed from the outside through the transparent covers 31 and 32 to observe processing conditions. By detaching at least one of the transparent covers 31 and 32, the matters to be processed can be carried in and out the processing space 24 through the relevant one of the side opening portions 27 and 28. Therefore, the matters to be processed may be carried in and out the processing space 24 through either one of the front opening portion 29 and one of the side opening portions, or may be carried in through either one of the front opening portion 29 and one of the side opening portions and be carried out the space through the other of the side opening portions. If the front opening portion 29 is not used for carrying in and carrying out the matters to be processed, the front opening portion 29 may be covered by the transparent cover.

Side-surface side pipes 33 a and 33 b, which are respectively near and along the protruding portions 25 a and 26 a, are fixed to a front surface wall of the support column 21, and respective tips of the pipes 33 a and 33 b are connected via joints 34 by a front side pipe 33 c, so that an air spout pipe 33 configured into a plane U shape by the pipes 33 a to 33 c is formed as an air spout member. As shown in FIG. 6, spouts 35 for spouting air toward an outer circumferential portion of the airflow inlet port 16 of the base box 11 are formed on the air spout pipe 33. Air curtains represented by broken-line arrows are formed at the side opening portions 27 and 28 and the front opening portion 29 due to air spouted from the respective spouts 35, whereby the processing space 24 is isolated from the outside by the air curtains. When illustrated in the drawings, the air spout pipe 33 as an air spout member is formed from a pipe with a circular section, but it may be formed from a square pipe. Also, when illustrated in the drawings, the spouts 35 are formed by a plurality of holes, but they may be formed from slit-shaped spouts.

An ion spout nozzle 36 is attached to a center portion of the processing head 23. Ionized air as represented by solid-line arrows from spouts 36 a of the ion spout nozzle 36 toward the interior of the processing space 24 is sprayed in the processing space 24, whereby the ionized air is sprayed on the matters to be processed, which are disposed in the processing space 24, with the space being isolated from the outside by the air curtains. The ionized air sprayed on the matters to be processed is sucked into the air blower 15, together with air for air curtains flowing into the airflow inlet port 16 by the air blower 15, and flows in the airflow inlet port 16 to be exhausted from the exhaust duct 18 to the outside.

To supply compressed air to the air spout pipe 33, an air supply port 37 is attached, as shown in FIG. 3, to a back wall of the support column 21. This air supply port 37 is connected to an air supply pipe 41 via an open/close valve 38 and a throttle valve 39, and the air supply pipe 41 is branched into two to be connected to the pipes 33 a and 33 b. Therefore, when the open/close valve 38 is opened, the compressed air from an air pressure supply source connected to the air supply port 37 is supplied through the throttle valve 39 to the air spout pipe 33, and is then spouted from the spouts 35 to form the air curtains.

The ion spout nozzle 36 is connected to an ion generator 42 attached to the support column 21. To supply air to the ion generator 42, an air supply port (omitted in the drawings) is attached on the back wall of the support column 21 and on a lower side of the air supply port 37. This air supply port is connected, as shown in FIG. 3, through an air supply pipe 45 to a pressure adjustment valve, that is, a regulator 44 and an open/close valve 43. The open/close valve 43 is connected, as shown in FIG. 4, via the air supply pipe 45 to the ion generator 42. An ion carrying tube 46 is connected between the ion generator 42 and the ion spout nozzle 36, so that the ionized air is delivered to the ion spout nozzle 36 through the ion carrying tube 46. Therefore, when the open/close valve 43 is opened, the compressed air from the air pressure supply source is pressure-adjusted by the regulator 44 and is then supplied via the open/close valve 43 to the ion generator 42. The ion generator 42 has a pair of electrodes (omitted in the drawings) disposed in a flow path of the compressed air, so that, due to a corona discharge caused between the electrodes by supplying electric power to the electrodes, the air is ionized and then the ionized air is supplied from the ion spout nozzle 36 to the interior of the processing space 24. Incidentally, the compressed air supplied from one air supply port 37 may be branched into and supplied as air for the air curtains and air for the ion generator 42.

As such, with the air curtains being formed by the compressed air so as to surround the processing space 24 and isolate it from the outside, the ionized air from the ion spout nozzle 36 is sprayed on the matters to be processed, so that the ionized air is not mixed with the air for the air curtains in the processing space 24, whereby the ionized air is prevented from being diluted. Thus, the ionized air is reliably sprayed on the matters to be processed, and static electricity charged on the matters to be processed is neutralized by the ionized air, thereby making it possible to remove, within a short time, the dust adhering to the matters to be processed due to the static electricity. The adhering dust is removed by the flow of the ionized air, and is then sucked into the base box 11 through the airflow inlet port 16.

To detect the matters to be processed which have been carried in the processing space 24, as shown in FIG. 4, an upper sensor 47 is attached to the processing head 23 and a lower sensor 48 is provided in the base box 11. The one sensor 47 has a light-emitting element while the other sensor 48 has a light-receiving element. Therefore, for example, when an operator carries by hand the matters to be processed into the processing space 24, the carrying-in is automatically detected by the sensors 47 and 48.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a control circuit for controlling actuation of the static electricity and dust removing apparatus, wherein control signals from a control unit 50 disposed in the accommodation chamber 22 of the support column 21 are sent to the motor 12 of the air blower 15, each of the open/close valves 38 and 43, and the ion generator 42 and wherein a signal from the sensor 48 is supplied to the control unit 50. Furthermore, a monitor signal indicative of a state of actuation of the static electricity and dust removing apparatus is outputted from the control unit 50.

When such a static electricity and dust removing apparatus is used to spray the ionized air on the matters to be processed and remove the dust adhering to the matters to be processed, the matters to be processed are carried by an operator into the processing space 24. When the matters to be processed are carried in, light irradiated from the upper sensor 47 toward the lower sensor 48 is isolated and the sensor 48 outputs a carrying-in detection signal to the control unit 50. Thus, with the air curtain being formed on the front opening portion 29 and with the air curtains being formed on the side opening portions 27 and 28 along the transparent covers 31 and 32, the ionized air is spouted from the ion spout nozzle 36 into the processing space 24 and the air in the processing space 24 is sucked by the air blower 15 into the base box 11. By connecting an unshown communication duct to the exhaust duct 18 to guide the dust collection air to a dust-collecting filter or the like, the dust can be collected in the filter. Incidentally, as long as a flow of air flowing through the airflow inlet port 16 is formed in the airflow path of the base box 11, the air blower 15 may not be provided in the base box 11 and the air in the base box 11 may be sucked and exhausted from the exhaust dust 18 to the outside.

Schemes of processing completion control of the apparatus include: a scheme to stop a processing when the sensor 48 detects that the matters to be processed have been carried out the processing space 24 by the operator; and a scheme to stop a processing when a predetermined time of spouting the ionized air lapses. Which control scheme is used is set by operating a switch provided to an input operating unit 51 connected to the control unit 50 in accordance with types and the like of the matters to be processed. This input operating unit 51 is provided to, for example, on a back surface side or the like of the support column 21.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of a type in which the apparatus is turned on/off by a sensor, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of a type in which the apparatus is turned off by a timer.

In a control scheme shown in FIG. 8, when workpieces, that is, matters to be processed are carried in the processing space 24 and detected by the sensor 48 (S1), the motor 12 of the air blower 15 is first actuated to form an airflow in the base box. After a lapse of a predetermined time, the open/close valve 38 opens the flow path and the compressed air is supplied to the air spout pipe 33, whereby the air curtains are formed. With the processing space 24 being isolated from the outside in this manner, the open/close valve 43 opens the flow path to supply air to the ion generator 42 and also electric power is supplied to the electrodes in the ion generator 42 to actuate the ion generator 42 (S2 to S4). Respective processes in steps S2 to S4 are consecutively and sequentially performed after the lapse of the predetermined time equal to or less than one second, so that the ionized air is sprayed on the matters to be processed with the processing space 24 being reliably isolated from the outside by the air curtains. After being sprayed for a predetermined time, since static electricity is neutralized by the ionized air, the dust adhering by static electricity to the matters to be processed is removed by the flow of air in the processing space 24 and is then sucked into the base box 11. When the sensor 48 detects that the matters to be processed have been carried out (step S5), stopping the operation of the ion generator 42, stopping the air curtains, and stopping the operation of the air blower 15 to stop formation of the airflow are consecutively performed per predetermined interval.

As such, in the case where the static electricity and dust removing apparatus detects that the matters to be processed have been carried into the processing space, at a time of starting the processing of the apparatus, the air curtains are actuated when a predetermined time lapses after actuation of the air blower 15; and, after the lapse of the predetermined time, the ionized air is spouted. Therefore, the processing space 24 is reliably isolated from the outside by the air curtains, and the ionized air is sprayed on the matters to be processed with the dust not being present in the processing space 24, thereby making it possible to prevent the dust from leaking to the outside of the apparatus and to reliably remove the dust from the matters to be processed. In contrast, at a processing completion time, the air curtains are stopped contrary to the processing start time, i.e., when a predetermined time lapses after the ion generator 42 is stopped; and further after a predetermined time lapses, the operation of the air blower 15 is stopped to stop formation of the airflow. Therefore, the removed dust can be reliably prevented from leaking to the outside.

On the other hand, in a control scheme shown in FIG. 9, processing start control of the static electricity and dust removing apparatus is similar to that of the case shown in FIG. 8, but processing completion control at the time of stopping the operation of the apparatus is different from that shown in FIG. 8 in that the operation of the apparatus is stopped by a timer after a time of spraying the ionized air lapses beyond the predetermined time. When the ionized air is sprayed on the matters to be processed for the predetermined time, a static electricity and dust removing processing is automatically completed, so that the operator carries out the matters to be processed to the outside after stopping the apparatus. As such, even in the processing completion control of a timer stop type, similarly to a processing completion control scheme of a sensor stop type, the dust can be removed from the matters to be processed without leaking the dust to the outside.

This static electricity and dust removing apparatus can perform a static electricity and dust removing processing to parts as matters to be processed, which include: various electric components and electronic components for industrial products; camera components such as optical lenses; and parts such as resin-molded components in which elements will be damaged due to static electricity or which adherence of dust such as solid particles will be problematic.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and may be variously modified within a scope of not departing from the gist thereof. For example, although the processing head 23 is provided with one ion spout nozzle 36 in the static electricity and dust removing apparatus shown in the drawings, a plurality of ion spout nozzles 36 may be provided. Further, although the processing head 23 is formed of a transparent plate material, it may be formed of an opaque plate material. Similarly, in place of the transparent covers 31 and 32, an opaque plate material may be used to form covers. 

1. A static electricity and dust removing apparatus for spraying ionized air on a matter to be processed to remove dust adhering to the matter to be processed, the apparatus comprising: a base box having an airflow inlet port into which air flows and an airflow path for guiding a flow of air flowing from the airflow inlet port; a processing head attached to a support column provided to the base box so as to face the airflow inlet port, a processing space being formed between the airflow inlet port and the processing head; an air spout member provided to the processing head and provided with a spout for spouting air toward the airflow inlet port to form an air curtain for isolating the processing space from an outside; and an ion spout nozzle provided to the processing head to spray the ionized air on the matter to be processed in the processing space.
 2. The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a front opening portion is formed between a tip portion of the processing head and a tip portion of the base box, the air curtain is formed along the front opening portion, and the matter to be processed is carried in and out the process space via the front opening portion.
 3. The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a front opening portion is formed between a tip portion of the processing head and a tip portion of the base box, side opening portions are formed between both side portions of the processing head and both side portions of the base box, the air curtain is formed along the front opening portion and each of the side opening portions, and the matter to be processed is carried in and out the process space via any of the front opening portion and each of the side opening portions.
 4. The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a removable cover is mounted on each of the side opening portions, and the matter to be processed is carried in and out the process space via the side opening portions by detaching the cover.
 5. The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a sensor for detecting the matter to be processed which is carried into the processing space; and control means for performing, when the sensor detects that the matter to be processed has been carried in, processing start control of forming an airflow in the base box, spouting air from the air spout member, and spouting the ionized air from the ion spout nozzle in this order per lapse of a predetermined time.
 6. The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control means performs, when the matter to be processed is carried out the process space, processing completion control of stopping spouting the ionized air, stopping spouting the air from the air spout member, and stopping forming the airflow in the base box in this order per lapse of the predetermined time.
 7. The static electricity and dust removing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control means performs, when a predetermined time lapses, processing completion control of stopping spouting the ionized air, stopping spouting the air from the air spout member, and stopping forming the airflow in the base box in this order per lapse of the predetermined time. 